"Robots will be your colleagues not your replacement"

Fears that robots could eliminate your job are unfounded as more and more employers plan to increase or maintain their workforce due to automation, ManpowerGroup, a recruitment firm, said in a survey released on Friday.

The report "Wanted Men: Robots Need You" surveys 19,000 employers in 44 countries and reveals that 69% of companies plan to maintain the size of their workforce, while 18% want to hire more people through 39; automation.

This was the highest result in three years.

The report adds that 24% of companies that will invest in automation and digital technologies over the next two years plan to add jobs, compared to 18% of companies that do not automate.

In the annual survey, only 9% of employers said that automation would directly result in job losses, while 4% did not know what the impact would be.

"More and more robots are adding to the workforce, but humans too," said Jonas Prizing, President and CEO of ManpowerGroup.

"Tech is here to stay and it's our responsibility to become leaders of learning and see how we integrate humans into machines."

According to the International Federation of Robotics, more than 3 million industrial robots will be used in factories around the world by 2020.

The Manpower survey found that 84% of companies were planning to help their workers acquire new skills by 2020, up from just 21% in 2011.

The global talent shortage is at its highest level in twelve years. Many companies are struggling to fill their positions, said Manpower.

In Germany, where the unemployment rate is at its lowest, the shortage of talent was the main concern of small and medium enterprises by 2019, according to a survey by the BVMW Mittelstand badociation.

The Manpower survey found that computer skills are particularly sought after, with 16% of companies planning to hire IT staff.

In the manufacturing and production sectors, where industrial robots are performing more and more routine tasks, companies expect to hire more people in customer-related roles that require skills. such as communication, leadership, negotiation and adaptability.

Employers in Singapore, Costa Rica, Guatemala and South Africa are expected to recruit the most staff, while firms in Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Norway, Slovakia and Romania forecast a decrease in staff numbers , revealed the investigation.

Source: Reuters